Veterans Legacy Program: About
Alexandria National Cemetery, Alexandria, VA
NCA established the Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) on Memorial Day 2016 to fulfill our mission to memorialize Veterans in perpetuity, and to do that in innovative and engaging ways. Many Americans are unaware that NCA operates 155 national cemeteries, with more being added regularly. These cemeteries are spread throughout the country, in major cities and small towns. Each uniquely reflects the community where it resides.
Year One:
In its inaugural year, VLP developed educational resources and interactive maps for Beaufort National Cemetery and Riverside National Cemetery. VLP partnered with three universities, engaging students and scholars in researching and sharing the histories of Veterans in their communities: San Francisco State University, Black Hills State University, and University of Central Florida.
Also for the 2016-17 academic year, VLP was proud to partner with the American Battle Monuments Commission on the Understanding Sacrifice program. NCA & ABMC partnered with National History Day* and George Mason University to create a unique program of teacher education. Through a competitive selection process, teachers from around the country joined the program, researching "fallen heroes" from their hometown and creating lesson plans about them. These teachers also had the opportunity to visit the gravesite of their fallen hero and give a eulogy of them.
To date, VLP has facilitated the discovery of nearly 1,000 Veterans' stories which have been researched, and shared by 55 professors, 260 K-12 teachers, 200 college students, and 9,000 K-12 students. As proud as VLP is of this success, there is still much more great work to be done. We look forward to continued growth and more Veterans' stories to be shared and remembered.
*VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.
NOTE: Page may contain links that will take you away from the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
